Opinions on grackles

[EventerPony]

As above, I’ve always wondered. At my old yard nearly everyone used one. ?

 

[Friesianfoal1999]

Often used to force the horses mouth shut, I used one on my mare until I realised it was the wrong bit for her

 

[Auslander]

Often used to force the horses mouth shut, I used one on my mare until I realised it was the wrong bit for her

it sure was, if you were using it as a bit!

 

[awelshandawarmblood]

A well fitted padded grackle is much kinder than most of these crank nosebands & flashes people use.

 

[Friesianfoal1999]

it sure was, if you were using it as a bit!

Aha I just realised how that sounds!
She was opening her jaw because she didnt like the bit, but I didnt realise that till after we used the grackle!

A well fitted padded grackle is much kinder than most of these crank nosebands & flashes people use.

Have to agree with this comment

 

[Silver Clouds]

I agree with awelshandawarmblood that (if fitted correctly) they are probably nicer for the horse than a tight crank-noseband, but I think most horses seen to need one should probably have the reason for that investigated instead (e.g. wrong bit, dental pain, rider with bad hands, poor schooling, poorly fitting bridle etc).

 

[SpeedyPony]

I wouldn't use one as a default, flashes and grackles seem to be becoming the standard noseband, which isn't a great fashion IMO.
That said, as an aid to reschooling, they can be an excellent tool in the right hands, with attention paid to correct bitting. Sometimes to cure a habit such as crossing the jaw/opening the mouth, you need to take that option away for a little while, if you are confident the horse is comfortable in his bit and it isn't your hands causing discomfort.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Personally I’m not keen on them looks wise.
I took over my daughters horse and when she had him she did a bit of everything hunting, eventing hunter trials etc and he was a fast strong horse. She always rode him in a grackle.
I’ve since tried him in several other types of nose band and he just seems happier in his old grackle! I only fasten it loosely.

 

[NinjaPony]

I like them for horses that can be a bit eager. My boy can sometimes cross his jaw/open his mouth out hacking when he gets excited, and he much prefers a grackle to a flash as the pressure is distributed more evenly over his face and there is better nostril clearance. He doesn't do it when schooling at all, it's just an excitement thing.

 

[EventerPony]

Interesting, Sunny opens her mouth and rushes whilst hacking and in XC, she’s currently in a cavesson with a double jointed eggbutt.

 

[MuddyTB]

Another who likes them here. Ex-racer, (now 19), has always found cantering out hacking too exciting and tries to open his mouth and cross jaw to try take off.
Schooling didn't help as he would go well in the school without the grackle, but out hacking he just wants to go.

EDT said his jaw was particularly mobile, giving him the perfect way to take off and he said the grackle was a kinder option than flash or crank as it only put pressure in a small spot on front of nose. It is fastened very loosely, but stops him crossing his jaw and taking off.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I hate flashesand crank nosebands. There's no need for how tight people do them up! Same could be said for the tightness of some people's grackles too!

We use them in racing for 2 reasons - to stop the horse crossing it's jaw and tanking off in a race wasting it's energy and also to help them breath.

Might sound strange but preventing the horse from opening it's mouth too much means they can't get their tongue back and choke themselves.

I wouldn't use one for everyday schooling or cantering but do sometimes for bits of work depending on the horse.

 

[cold_feet]

I kept my boy in one, as he’d worn the same bridle for the 10 years I’d known him. Then got fed up with all the buckles (we do endurance so have to untack with speed!) and just left it off. We’ve been noseband free for 2 years now, not noticed any difference in how he goes, but now doesn’t rub on his legs when I get off.

 

[oldie48]

There's been some fairly recent research into the different type of nosebands which debunks some of the theories regarding the pressure exerted with different types of nosebands. Sorry I've looked but can't find it but from memory, the grackle came out very well, as did a properly fitted rank as it distributed the pressure better than a cavesson. Flash came out badly and a drop was seen as kinder. The research also demonstrated that leaving a noseband too loose distributed pressure unevenly so it was important to do it up properly. I remember reading it and thinking it ran counter to many of the things I had been told. I think it may have been conducted by Fairfax and this was lifted from something I found advertising a clinic they were doing.

• Pressure exerted on either side of the nasal bone by a’normal’ cavesson noseband is four times higher than that we measured under a saddle. The cavesson pressure we recorded was so high, we thought the pressure mat must be faulty and we sent it back to the manufacturer. It wasn’t.
• A cavesson noseband fitted high up against the cheekbones puts pressure on arteries running directly under the end of cheekbone and causes reduced joint flexion compared to a correctly fitting noseband.
• Flash nosebands cause the most pressure and have the most detrimental effect on a horse’s movement. A flash stap dragging down the lower edge of the cavesson part is the most antagonistic high-pressure noseband design we tested.
• Drop and grackle nosebands perform better in terms of pressure reduction and freedom of movement compared to any other conventional noseband we tested.
• A crank noseband exerts less pressure than a normal cavesson! This is perhaps one of the most surprising and controversial findings of the scientific trials (see below)

 

[ecb89]

I’ve got a crank on my boy, I don’t crank it up though.
Only reason I have a crank is I couldn’t find a nice cavesson noseband without a flash attachment. I also wanted a reasonably wide width to suit his face without getting a flat hunter bridle

 

[Scarlett]

I like them. I have a horse who hates a cavesson because of where it lies on his face, a drop was out of the question too as that also touched the area. In a grackle he was happy as Larry. If you look at the modern, anatomical bridles many of them fit similarly to a grackle by avoiding touching the sensitive area of the face above the bit rings.

Just because there are some people who use a bit of equipment badly it doesn't mean the equipment itself is bad, there's usually a purpose for things if you apply a little common sense.

 

[milliepops]

I’ve got a crank on my boy, I don’t crank it up though.
Only reason I have a crank is I couldn’t find a nice cavesson noseband without a flash attachment. I also wanted a reasonably wide width to suit his face without getting a flat hunter bridle

I use cranks too, mine are fitted same as a normal cavesson but they sit better on the head because of the articulation provided by the rings.

We use them in racing for 2 reasons - to stop the horse crossing it's jaw and tanking off in a race wasting it's energy and also to help them breath.

Might sound strange but preventing the horse from opening it's mouth too much means they can't get their tongue back and choke themselves.

that's interesting. The pics I have of Darcy racing are all wearing a grackle but I never find that he opens his mouth particularly (RATHER different way of going I accept ) so it's nice to understand the reasons behind it

 

[Goldenstar]

If I want to keep a horses mouth shut I tend you the fairfax type drop or a drop .
If a hunter needs something I always always use a grackle long experience has told horses prefer these on a long day .
The fairfax grackles are really nice padded in all the right places .
Grackles need to fit and there’s some weird sized ones out there .

 

[ponynutz]

My pony used to be in a grackle, not proud to say I used it because it looked pretty. She's just in a normal cavesson now and I have exactly the same amount of control as with a grackle (which isn't very much ;D)

 

[AFB]

I’ve got a crank on my boy, I don’t crank it up though.
Only reason I have a crank is I couldn’t find a nice cavesson noseband without a flash attachment. I also wanted a reasonably wide width to suit his face without getting a flat hunter bridle

I was in exactly the same position, they're especially difficult to come across buckled on both sides & not over the head.

 

[ecb89]

I was in exactly the same position, they're especially difficult to come across buckled on both sides & not over the head.

https://www.rhinegoldequestrian.co.uk/horse/Leatherwork/Bridles/rhinegold-anatomical-cavesson-bridle this is mine

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I use a grackle, fairly loosely fitted. In the school he could probably do without it, but I like the way it avoids pressure points, and he goes better in it than any other noseband I have tried - out hacking I would have no breaks at all without one, I'm actually considering digging my Kineton out of the loft.

 

[Jeni the dragon]

The Irish Yob came with one. I'd never used one before but he seems to prefer it. We haven't done anything exciting so it's pretty loose.

 

[EventerPony]

Really interesting, would you recommend giving one a go, Sunny does need something to stop her being so excitable and opening her mouth whilst hacking , XC and jumping. I agree with @Scarlett in that many of the modern anatomical bridles are fitted very similar to grackles, which intrigues me. Keep coming with the pros, cons and experiences.